Christian Sanko '20, Communication Arts
Christian Sanko ‘20 has enjoyed theater and the performing arts from a young age, which inspired him to pursue a degree in communication arts with a concentration in theater, film, and media. In three and a half years as a Malone student, he has acted in nine and directed five productions, and will be incorporating his love for performance in his honors thesis.
“I came to Malone because I wanted an integration of my faith and education, and my thesis is a great example of that,” Sanko said.
His thesis is centered on the idea that Gary Colledge, a former adjunct professor, mentioned in his BIBL 100 course, that many biblical scholars believe the Gospel of Mark was originally presented as a performance. Instead of a traditional proposal, Sanko presented an artist statement containing his extensive research about the embodiment of the Living Word, scholarly evidence supporting this view, and other ideas found in the Gospel of Mark.
“As an artistic thesis rather than a traditional thesis, I will be memorizing passages of Mark for a performance,” Sanko said. “It is a marrying of the text and ideas to a medium that suits both the contemporary church and the way it was given originally.”
Sanko live-streamed a recording of his 30-minute performance on December 7, 2020, accompanied by an edited version of his artist statement. That performance can be found here.
After graduation, Sanko will be applying to a professional training program at the Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland and the professional training company at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in Kentucky. He hopes to further his skills and knowledge in his interdisciplinary study of the performing arts.
“One of the things I love about my major and my professors is that they teach you skills that affect your daily life,” Sanko said.
His future may not be certain, but his time at Malone has prepared him well for it.
“Every experience matters as a student and a Christian on Malone’s campus,” Sanko said. “I’m able to use each one, educational and otherwise, to shape my faith and outlook on life. I’m excited to see how I have been shaped in ways that I may not even know, for the better.”
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